Encora vs Howdy.com: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Encora (4.0/5) edges ahead of Howdy.com (3.9/5) overall. Encora is the better choice for U.S. firms wanting nearshore AI teams from a large provider. Howdy.com is the stronger option for U.S. startups hiring full-time Latin American AI engineers. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Encora vs Howdy.com: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Encora | Howdy.com |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2005 | 2018 |
| HQ | Scottsdale, Arizona, USA | Austin, Texas, USA |
| Team size | 9,500+ | Not disclosed |
| Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 3.9 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Large Mexican and Latin American delivery base with an AI engineering practice | Full-time, single-client placements with employment handled by Howdy |
| Pricing model | Dedicated teams; time and materials; rates on request | Monthly all-in fee per engineer quoted per engagement; rates on request |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | Python, OpenAI, AWS | Python, OpenAI, LangChain |
| Industries served | Software & SaaS, Healthcare & life sciences, Financial services, Travel | Software & SaaS, Financial services, Healthcare & life sciences |
Encora vs Howdy.com: overview
Encora
Encora was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. It took its current name in 2020 after combining subsidiaries including Nearsoft, and it later absorbed Avantica. The company reports more than 9,500 engineers, designers and domain experts across the Americas, Europe, India and Southeast Asia, with AI and LLM engineering among its service lines. In December 2025 the Indian IT firm Coforge agreed to acquire Encora for about $2.35 billion, and Coforge said in April 2026 that all regulatory clearances had been received.
Howdy.com
Howdy.com was founded in Austin, Texas, in 2018 to connect Latin American engineers with U.S. companies, and it acquired the Brazilian talent marketplace GeekHunter to expand its pool. Engineers work full time for one client while Howdy handles employment, benefits and equipment. The company now markets itself around AI-capable engineers, and pricing is quoted per engagement rather than published.
Services and capabilities: Encora vs Howdy.com
| Capability | Encora | Howdy.com |
|---|---|---|
| LLM / GenAI engineers | ✓ | ✓ |
| MLOps & deployment | ✗ | ✗ |
| Computer vision | ✗ | ✗ |
| Data engineering | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI agent development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Fractional / part-time experts | ✗ | ✗ |
| Risk-free trial period | ✗ | ✗ |
| Nearshore time-zone overlap | ✓ | ✓ |
Tech stack comparison: Encora vs Howdy.com
| Framework / platform | Encora | Howdy.com |
|---|---|---|
| PyTorch | N/A | N/A |
| TensorFlow | N/A | N/A |
| LangChain | N/A | ✓ |
| Hugging Face | N/A | N/A |
| OpenAI | ✓ | ✓ |
| AWS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Azure | ✓ | N/A |
| Databricks | ✓ | N/A |
| MLflow | N/A | N/A |
| Kubernetes | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Encora vs Howdy.com
| Criterion | Encora | Howdy.com |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Dedicated team, Full-time dedicated engineers, Managed delivery | Full-time dedicated engineers |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Encora vs Howdy.com
| Dimension | Encora | Howdy.com |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Software & SaaS, Healthcare & life sciences, Financial services | Software & SaaS, Financial services, Healthcare & life sciences |
| Best use cases | Building a nearshore team for a SaaS product's AI roadmap, Adding data and LLM engineers to a healthcare platform | Hiring one full-time LLM application developer for a startup, Building a small Latin American team on U.S. hours |
| Typical project type | Dedicated team | Full-time dedicated engineers |
Encora vs Howdy.com: pros and cons
| Encora | |
|---|---|
| + | Nearshore delivery from Mexico and Latin America on U.S. hours |
| + | Scale to staff several teams at once |
| + | AI work is a named service line with its own platform |
| - | The Coforge acquisition may change account management, pricing and contract terms |
| - | Dedicated teams are the norm, so single-seat placements are less common |
| - | AI depth varies by delivery center |
| Howdy.com | |
|---|---|
| + | Engineers work for one client full time |
| + | Howdy covers benefits, equipment and local employment |
| + | GeekHunter acquisition widened access to Brazilian talent |
| - | Company headcount is not disclosed |
| - | No published rates despite transparent-pricing marketing |
| - | AI focus is a recent repositioning |
Who should choose Encora?
A typical fit: building a nearshore team for a SaaS product's AI roadmap.
Large Mexican and Latin American delivery base with an AI engineering practice. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Software & SaaS, Healthcare & life sciences, Financial services, Travel.
Who should choose Howdy.com?
A typical fit: hiring one full-time LLM application developer for a startup.
Full-time, single-client placements with employment handled by Howdy. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Software & SaaS, Financial services, Healthcare & life sciences.
Decision matrix: Encora vs Howdy.com
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need a dedicated team for a long programme | Both; Encora rates higher overall |
| You want the supplier to own delivery as well as staffing | Encora |
| You need one expert part-time | Neither lists part-time experts; ask about reduced hours |
| You want to test an engineer before signing for months | Neither publishes a trial; ask for a short first term |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Encora (Not published) vs Howdy.com (Not published) |
| You need overlap with U.S. working hours | Both; Encora rates higher overall |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Encora |
Use case fit: Encora vs Howdy.com
| Use case | Encora fit | Howdy.com fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building a nearshore team for a SaaS product's AI roadmap | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Adding data and LLM engineers to a healthcare platform | Strong | Limited | Encora |
| Hiring one full-time LLM application developer for a startup | Limited | Strong | Howdy.com |
| Building a small Latin American team on U.S. hours | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
Verdict: Encora vs Howdy.com
Encora (4.0/5) is the stronger overall choice for most AI Staff Augmentation projects. Large Mexican and Latin American delivery base with an AI engineering practice.
Howdy.com (3.9/5) is worth a look if you need building a small Latin American team on U.S. hours. If your situation matches that, Howdy.com is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Encora vs Howdy.com FAQ
Is Encora better than Howdy.com?
Encora (4.0/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Encora's strongest advantage: nearshore delivery from Mexico and Latin America on U.S. hours. Howdy.com's strongest advantage: engineers work for one client full time.
How do Encora and Howdy.com differ in pricing?
Encora uses dedicated teams; time and materials; rates on request pricing. Howdy.com uses monthly all-in fee per engineer quoted per engagement; rates on request pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Encora or Howdy.com?
Encora is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each company before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Encora and Howdy.com?
Encora's primary differentiator is: large Mexican and Latin American delivery base with an AI engineering practice. Howdy.com's primary differentiator is: Full-time, single-client placements with employment handled by Howdy. They also differ in team size (9,500+ vs Not disclosed), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Software & SaaS, Healthcare & life sciences vs Software & SaaS, Financial services).
Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.